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| Street Corner of Bourke Road and Huntley Street |
You are sure to notice it when you see the large crowds drawn to the area.
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| Signpost with Directions | Water Fountain | Outdoor Seating |
As the Cafe at The Grounds gets extremely busy (I arrived around 10:30am - even then there was a 40 min wait for a table), you can either get takeaway and eat outside in the large communal dining area, or linger around The Grounds whilst waiting for the next available table. I opted for the latter option (since I had already made the effort to get to the cafe) and after registering my details, I was given a buzzer.
Running from the entrance of the cafe, a series of stalls were operating (The Grounds Fair opens on weekends):
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| From Top Left, Clockwise: Nut Stall, Fruit and Lemonade Stall, Cake Stall, Doughnut Stall | |
The one that fascinated me the most was the doughnut stall, at which fresh doughnuts were made in a large vat of oil, then coated with cinnamon sugar and filled accordingly:
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| Doughnuts Waiting to be Fried | Types of Doughnuts Available | Doughnut Stand |
The doughnuts looked so tempting so I later ended up purchasing four ($12):
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| Doughnuts Filled With Jam or Nutella |
Around the corner from the food stalls, the Florist by Silva occupies a corner off the Potting Shed and offers a vast, colourful display of flowers:
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| Endless Bouquets of Flowers | Flower Display |
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| Suculents | Rainbow Roses | Terrariums |
Interestingly, the florist also sells a variety of organic floral teas, bath salts and soy candles:
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| Organic Teas | Bath Salts |
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| Left: Macaw in the Potting Shed Above: Kevin Bacon (The Pig) and Friends |
Eventually I came across the star of The Grounds - Kevin Bacon (the pig)! I remember reading an news article about Kevin Bacon last year as someone had stolen him from the barn but fortunately he was later recovered.
He looked seriously chilled and content lying in the shade today. Based on his current size, I'd say Kevin Bacon has officially outgrown his original home (now inhabited by the Silkie chickens?), which explained the workers busily constructing a new home next door. I thought it was hilarious how there was a pigeon inside the barn as well...
Inside the Cafe
After wandering around The Grounds Fair and eventually snacking on two of the doughnuts (#regrets), I decided to check out the dessert selection from the cafe - all of them looked amazing and drool-worthy:
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| Cake Selection | |
Just after taking these pics, my buzzer started going off (after a 35min wait), so I was uber excited to finally eat. I was actually surprised to hear that The Grounds didn't have any share tables so as a lone diner, I was basically sitting at one end of a large table that could have seated a few extra people...seemed like a waste.
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| Inside of Cafe |
I'd made the cut for the breakfast menu (orders before 11:45am), and therefore ordered the Breakie Board, along with an affogato:
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| Affogato ($7) - Tiramisu Icecream, Espresso Shot and Popping Candy |
The tiramisu ice cream was amazing (had chunks of cake soaked in coffee liqueur mixed into the ice cream), however I found the espresso shot to be really bitter, perhaps even slightly burnt.. The popping candy was more of a rock sugar with minimal popping so it was a bit of a disappointment.
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| The Breakie Board ($22) - Poached Eggs, Chicken Chipolatas, Asparagus, Avocado, Smoked Salmon, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Persian Feta, Sourdough |
Given the sheer volume of food packed onto the board, I'd say the dish was worth the price. The board held half an avocado, two chipolatas, three asparagus stalks, two free-range eggs (one was runny, the other was semi-solid), small bowl of Persian feta, small bowl of heirloom cherry tomatoes topped with micro-herbs and at least three slices of smoked salmon, all topped with two thick slices of sourdough bread. Somehow, by sheer will, I finished most of the board except for half a slice of sourdough, feta (not a fan) and a few cherry tomatoes. The downside to this dish was that most of it was pre-made, as the food came out within 10min of ordering and the cooked elements were barely warm.
Service-wise, there were quite a lot of staff working in the cafe but I found that they had a tendency to come and go in groups, e.g. all appeared when a birthday cake was presented to a table to sing, and at other times might all disappear. After being presented with the bill, no instruction was provided as to where to pay the bill (as no staff was around again and there was no sign, I was a little lost) and then they pushed for tips when paying.
I'm still undecided as to whether The Grounds of Alexandria is worth the hype - it's definitely a place to visit at least once to check out the cafe, stalls and Kevin Bacon. However, The Grounds is sort of in the middle of nowhere (15min walk from Green Square Station) and there is minimal street parking nearby. Also, it is overly crowded on weekends and there is a seriously long wait for a table inside the Cafe or Potting Shed, unless you arrive before opening time.
Visit #2 - 05/Nov/2016
This day actually started out with an early start to the day with a view of the sunrise on Bondi Beach and walking to/from Tamarama Beach to view this year's Sculptures by the Sea. Afterwards, our group ended up heading to The Grounds of Alexandria after spending over 20min driving through the streets of Bondi Beach in search of free parking, which is possible but you need to walk at least 2km... ceebs!
When we arrived, we were directed up a ramp to some free parking (looked like corporate parking but put into good use over the weekend). Walking past the Grounds Markets, we made a beeline to the Grounds Cafe to get a table in order to beat the crowds. Surprisingly, the courtyard was relatively empty, compared to my last visit, at 9am and therefore, we were able to score a table inside the Grounds Cafe within 5 min.
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| Kitchen |
Upon walking into the inner sanctum of the Ground Cafe, I couldn't help but notice that the dining area inside was rather dark (could do with more lighting). After the rest of our party finally arrived, we put in our food and drink orders (interestingly, after taking our food orders, the waiter was about to leave without asking for, or taking, our drink orders).
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| Super Chocolate and Hazelnut Shake ($9... or $8.50) |
The Super Chocolate & Hazelnut Shake was disappointing for what was basically milk, perhaps with some ice cream, blended with Nutella and topped with a pinch of chocolate shavings (I tried it the next morning at home... got same results). I guess it did fit the brief of a chocolate + hazelnut-flavoured drink, but at $9 (or $8.50, according to the receipt... and online menu), this 'milkshake' was seriously overpriced and looked nothing like the freakshakes shown in pictures online.
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| Chef's Breakie Pan ($22) |
The Chef's Breakie Pan ($22) was a slight improvement with the slow-cooked duck that basically melted in your mouth, duck sausage slices, sweet potato puree, poached egg with a runny orange yolk... all on a bed of cubed potatoes, which were just cooked so they were still firm and retained their shape. It would have been nice to have some bread on the side to soak up the egg and remaining sauce (seriously tempted to take some sample sourdough bread around the corner from our table). But was the dish worth $22? I guess so since the dish does contain duck (i.e. expensive meat) but I think their Big Breakie (same price) offered better value for food.
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| King Crab Omelette ($22) - Freshly Shelled Crab Meat, Free Range Eggs and Creme Fraiche with a Zucchini and Herb Salad | House Smoked Salmon on Brioche ($18) with Charred Kale and a Soft Cooked Egg with Hollandaise |
After our breakie/brunch, we headed through The Grounds to check out Kevin Bacon & friends:
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| Stalls | Blue Macaw |
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| Water Fountain | Kevin Bacon's (New) House |
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| Sheep, Goat and Stray Chicken | Kevin Bacon is Just Chillin' |
Kevin's new home was finished and looked spanking new (and unused? although the chickens seemed pretty happy inside it) and I swear he and his friends had grown bigger since my last visit because the goat is no longer a 'kid'. I still find the tuft of hair on Kevin's head cute and funny... and I never knew pigs could get so hairy.
Then we headed to the Grounds Markets to check out what was on offer - a coffee stand and various stalls selling jewelry, prints, food, etc.:
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| Entrance of The Grounds Markets | Musician Playing at The Grounds Markets |
Just as we were about to leave, we noticed Kevin going for a walk towards the markets (insert all the jokes you want about the not-so-little piggy going to the markets)! It was hilarious watching him wander around and having a hoard of people follow him around. Free pig petting available for children... and adults.
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| Kevin Bacon in the Flesh | Kevin Bacon at The Grounds Markets |
Since a few of us were planning to head back home after the late morning, I wanted to go back to the cafe and pick up some desserts to take home - this is where the visit seriously went downhill...
The Grounds is famous for their red velvet cake, and they have a small, but tall, round cake on offer for $16. However, if you want to do plan to take any of their desserts home, plan ahead and BYO a plastic container. They didn't have an actual box that fits the entirety of the miniature red velvet cake - instead they do have a small, white box that will fit the base of the cake but you can't close the lid (it's left open vertically).
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| Cakes and Tarts | Baked Goods |
In the end, I opted to purchase 3 cakes and tarts for $20. However, they package the desserts into takeaway trays - with no lid! unless you request for an additional tray to act as a cover - regardless of whether you're eating outside or taking home, and then place in large brown paper bags, which BTW is not the best packaging ever to survive a road trip home. As I had purchased 3 items, I ended up carrying two brown paper bags as they didn't all fit onto a single tray. I want to know what happens if customers take up on the offer and purchase 6 or 12 cakes and tarts - does that mean that they will end up carrying up to six brown paper bags?
After ordering and paying for my desserts, rather than finishing with serving me by retrieving the cakes/tarts and handing them to me, the staff member that served me proceeded to serve other customers in line without advising when (or if) I would get my desserts. I ended up standing at the counter with a friend who had received her desserts straight after purchasing them from the other staff member manning the next cashier. This staff member then noticed me still lingering at the counter. After questioning why I was still there, she had to follow up with her fellow staff member, who then said that the "3 pastries [would] be coming up"... but then forgot which ones I ordered when she went to retrieve them after serving a few more customers.
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| Amandine Tart - Shortbread Base with Almond Meal Filling, Cream, Lime Gel and Almond Praline | Chocolate Brownie - Dark Chocolate Brownie with Toasted Walnuts, Peanuts and Dark Chocolate Ganache |
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| Royal Cake - Hazelnut Dacquoise with Crunchy Almond Base and Milk Chocolate Mousse | |
The three cakes/tarts that I got were all decadent and delicious. However, if I was to pick my favourite, it would probably be the Royal Cake, which tasted like a cake version of a Ferraro Rocher - crunchy almond/hazelnut base on a wafer with layers of chocolate mouse and topped a smooth dark chocolate ganache, gold leaf and raspberries.
Overall, I was rather disappointed in my second experience at the Grounds. Kevin and his friends remain the highlight of The Grounds but does it make up for expensive food and mediocre service? The Grounds need to reconsider their takeaway options for cakes/tarts because a takeaway tray and brown paper bag just doesn't cut it when they're purchased in bulk - the desserts should be packaged properly in boxes that fit them to ensure safe transport, especially when customers order to "take a box home" (reference to their menu). Also, they really need to address the service at the takeaway counter as it is obviously not a strong point there.
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